Freedom251 › Government Website Builders
Public Platform
What Public Platform is
Public Platform is a web service for building and operating public sector websites. Sites are ready for content population within 24 hours, and the service is functional from the first day of access, without a long build phase. It uses the GOV.UK Design System as its foundation and integrates the Gutenberg editor. Content tools include service directories, news and event listings, global search, multi-step forms, editorial workflow, and scheduled publishing. Organisations can publish in multiple languages, manage documents, and support multiple sites. Newsletter sign-ups can use an on-site option or a third-party system such as MailChimp; templates for ModernGov are also available. Standard security includes two-factor authentication, minimum password complexity requirements, and automatic logout. Subscriptions include production and test hosting, support, documentation access, uptime monitoring, security updates, and a 99.9% uptime SLA. Plans start at £200 a month, billed monthly excluding VAT, for up to 5,000 monthly page views. Above 100,000 monthly page views, subscriptions include microsites, cookie-less analytics, accessibility auditing, and Doc2Page PDF-to-web conversion.
Who it suits
Public Platform suits public sector organisations, including councils, that need to publish and manage public-facing websites. Its multiple-site and multilingual publishing support may fit organisations with broader publishing needs.
What it does well
- Sites are ready for content within 24 hours.
- Includes editorial workflow and scheduled publishing.
- Supports multilingual publishing and multiple sites.
- Subscriptions include hosting, support, and a 99.9% uptime SLA.
What to know first
- No free plan is listed.
- Starts at £200 a month, excluding VAT.
- Some additional features require more than 100,000 monthly page views.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 50001 to 100000 monthly page views | Monthly licence fee (ex VAT) · 50001 to 100000 page views per month | £1,200 a month |
| 50,001 to 100,000 page views | £1200 monthly licence fee ex VAT · 50,001 to 100,000 monthly page views | £1,200 a month |
| 100001 to 150000 monthly page views | Monthly licence fee (ex VAT) · 100001 to 150000 page views per month | £1,650 a month |
| 100,001 to 150,000 page views | £1650 monthly licence fee ex VAT · 100,001 to 150,000 monthly page views · microsites · cookie-less analytics · accessibility auditing · Doc2Page | £1,650 a month |
| 150,001 to 300,000 page views | £1950 monthly licence fee ex VAT · 150,001 to 300,000 monthly page views · microsites · cookie-less analytics · accessibility auditing · Doc2Page | £1,950 a month |
| 150001 to 300000 monthly page views | Monthly licence fee (ex VAT) · 150001 to 300000 page views per month | £1,950 a month |
| Up to 5000 monthly page views | Monthly licence fee (ex VAT) · Up to 5000 page views per month | £200 a month |
| Up to 5,000 page views | £200 monthly licence fee ex VAT · up to 5,000 monthly page views | £200 a month |
The first 8 of 18 plans, as publicplatform.com lists them, read 4 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word. Every plan
Verdict
Public Platform brings public-sector website publishing, content workflows, and hosting into one service. Its page-view-based plans start at £200 a month, billed monthly excluding VAT, with no free plan listed.
Facts from Public Platform's own pages
- Accessibility
- The maker says sites comply with the September 2020 Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations and are scanned through Publica11y. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- API
- A RESTful API can be enabled on request for create, read, update and delete operations across entity types; OpenAPI documentation and a sandbox are provided. · applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk, 15 Oct 2026
- Availability
- The service is fully functional from the first day of access and has no long build phase. · publicplatform.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Browser support
- The product is designed to work on modern browsers and devices. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company financial size
- Endole classifies Zodiac Media Ltd as a micro company with turnover under £1 million and fewer than 10 employees. · open.endole.co.uk, 15 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters and size
- LinkedIn lists Zodiac Media headquarters in London and a company size of 2–10 employees. · uk.linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company legal status
- Zodiac Media Ltd is an active UK private limited company incorporated on 29 January 2013. · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk, 15 Oct 2026
- Company registered office
- Companies House lists the registered office as 21 Walter Road, Swansea, Wales, SA1 5NQ. · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk, 15 Oct 2026
- Content editing
- It integrates the Gutenberg editor for content editing. · publicplatform.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Content editor
- The Gutenberg-based editor lets users arrange columns and multimedia blocks with limited technical knowledge. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- CRM
- Customer-relationship-management functionality is built into the platform. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Custom code
- Administrators can add bespoke CSS and JavaScript through the management interface and use a private staging instance. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Data export
- Customers can extract data through REST APIs or CSV export, with JSON also listed as an export format. · applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk, 15 Oct 2026
- Data location
- The supplier states that data is stored and processed in the United Kingdom and that penetration testing occurs at least every six months. · applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk, 15 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The service is delivered through public cloud and has no installable application; the supplier lists no system constraints. · applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk, 15 Oct 2026
- Design system
- The platform is built on the GOV.UK Design System and describes its starting point as accessible and usable. · publicplatform.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Directories
- Users can create searchable, filterable directory pages for finding nearby services or locations. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The documentation system is searchable, contains illustrated step-by-step tutorials and is updated as features change. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Editorial workflow
- Content supports Draft, Review and Publish stages, plus scheduled publication and expiry. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Features
- Features include service directories, news pages, event listings, global search, multi-step forms, editorial workflow, and scheduled publishing. · publicplatform.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Forms
- Editors can build multi-step WYSIWYG forms and surveys using the GOV.UK visual style. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- GOV.UK design system
- Its front end is based on the GOV.UK Design System and is maintained in-house by the development team. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Higher usage tiers
- Subscriptions above 100,000 monthly page views include microsites, cookie-less analytics, accessibility auditing, and Doc2Page PDF-to-web conversion. · publicplatform.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Listed integrations include Bartec, ModernGov, Elgin Roadworks, Council Advertising Network, Microsoft Azure Chatbots, Google Analytics, Siteimprove and Recite Me. · publicplatform.com, 15 Oct 2026
Where Public Platform stands on Freedom251
- Government Website Builders#13 of 33